1 In what numbers, then, did they come back to Jerusalem, and to the various cities of Juda, these exiles that had been taken to Babylon by the Chaldaean king Nabuchodonosor, and were now on the march for home?[1] 2 Their leaders were Zorobabel, Josue, Nehemia, Saraia, Rahelaia, Mardochai, Belsan, Mesphar, Beguai, Rehun and Baana. These were the numbers the various clans of Israel provided: 3 Pharos, two thousand one hundred and seventy-two, 4 Sephatia, three hundred and seventy-two, 5 Area, seven hundred and seventy-five, 6 Phahath-Moab …[2] Josue-Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve, 7 Aelam, one thousand two hundred and fifty-four, 8 Zethua, nine hundred and forty-five, 9 Zachai, seven hundred and sixty, 10 Bani, six hundred and forty-two, 11 Bebai, six hundred and twenty-three, 12 Azgad, one thousand two hundred and twenty-two, 13 Adonicam, six hundred and sixty-six, 14 Beguai, two thousand and fifty-six, 15 Adin, four hundred and fifty-four, 16 Ather, coming from Ezechias, ninety-eight, 17 Besai, three hundred and twenty-three, 18 Jora, a hundred and twelve, 19 Hasum, two hundred and twenty-three.

36 And the various priestly clans provided: Jadaia, in the line of Josue, nine hundred and seventy-three, 37 Emmer, a thousand and fifty-two, 38 Pheshur, one thousand two hundred and forty-seven, 39 Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

40 And the various Levite clans provided: Josue and Cedmihel, that came down from Odovias, seventy-four, 41 Asaph’s sons, the musicians, a hundred and twenty-eight, 42 Sellum, Ater, Telmon, Accub, Hatita and Sobai, the door-keepers, a hundred and thirty-nine in all.

59 Some of those who came back from Thelmala, Thelharsa, Cherub, Adon and Emer could not prove whence their ancestors came or whether they were of Israelite stock; 60 they were descendants of Dalaia, Tobia and Necoda, amounting to six hundred and fifty-two. 61 Such, too, among the priests were the sons of Hobia, of Accos, and of that Berzellai who married a daughter of Berzellai the Galaadite and took his name;[6] 62 they could find no written record of their ancestry, and were excluded from the priesthood; 63 they might not partake of the food reserved for the priests, the governor told them, until there should be a high priest that bore the touchstones of wisdom and truth.[7]

64 The whole number, taken together, amounted to forty-two thousand three hundred and sixty, 65 not counting the men and women servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred and thirty-seven, with two hundred men and maids that were singers. 66 They had with them seven hundred and thirty-six horses, two hundred and forty-five mules, 67 four hundred and thirty-five camels, six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.

68 Some of the clan chiefs, upon entering the Lord’s temple at Jerusalem, made of their own accord an offering for rebuilding God’s house where it stood; 69 contributing to that end, as their means allowed, sixty-one thousand gold pieces, five thousand silver pieces, and a hundred sets of vestments for the priests. 70 And now priests and Levites (and some of the people), singers, door-keepers and Nathinaeans were back in their own precincts, and all Israel in the cities that were their homes.[8]

[2] It is generally doubted whether the Hebrew text here is sound; ‘the sons of Phahath-Moab to the sons of Josue-Joab’ has no obvious meaning in the context.

[3] It is not quite clear whether Gebbar belongs to the list of clans or to that of townships; in Neh. 7.25 it is replaced by Gabaon, and is perhaps only a faulty reading.

[4] It seems as if verse 7 had been accidentally repeated by a copyist’s error, and ‘the other’ had been put in by an editor to hide the fault.

[5] An omission has been marked at the end of this verse, because the items in verses 3-63 do not add up to the total given in verse 64; it looks, therefore, as if there were a lacuna somewhere in the list.

[6] The text says literally that he married one of the daughters of Berzellai and was called after ‘their’ name.